News

Dear Friends,

This Sunday in worship, we will be wrapping up our sermon series entitled Lessons from the Desert. We began this series by remembering that we are all in this thing called “ministry” together and that each one of us plays a vital role in making up the body of Christ. Last week, we reflected on why we can’t live in the past; if we do, we will miss what is happening in the present as well as cloud our visions of hope for the future. For our final week of this series, we will be thinking about why we give to those in need.

When was the last time you really thought about why you give? Do you give to those in need because it makes you feel good? Is it for tax purposes? Is it because someone helped you out when you needed it? Is it because it was modeled for you by your parents or grandparents? Do you give because of something you read in the Bible or heard in church? Maybe it is a mix of all these things or maybe it is another reason or maybe you aren’t even sure why you give.

As we gather back together (both in-person and online) on Sunday, we will examine the motivation and reasoning behind the Israelite’s generosity to those in need. I think you will find their motivation quite interesting and it might just help each of us have a greater understanding of why we give as well.

I look forward to seeing you soon,

Cheers,

Pastor Luke

Dear Friends,

On behalf of the entire Ham Family, thank you so much for your warm welcome last Sunday! Not only did we have a great time worshipping with you in the sanctuary, we were so excited (especially the boys) to be able to get to know you better over ice cream after the service.

Isn’t it amazing how the simple act of having ice cream (or coffee or food) with someone makes the conversation so much more relaxed and meaningful? I have found over and over again that breaking bread or sharing a French press of coffee with someone is the fastest way to get to know them better. So, I am excited to let you know that we will be resuming coffee fellowship hour beginning this Sunday!

As we continue in our 3-part series “Lessons from the Desert”, we will be reflecting on the dangers of getting too focused on the past when God is doing something new right in front of us. Interestingly enough, God taught this lesson to Moses and people through the gift of FOOD!

I look forward to sharing more with you on Sunday!

Cheers,

Pastor Luke

Dear Friends,

I want to begin by saying that I am so grateful for all of the ways that Mt. Tam Church has come alongside my family to assist us during this time of transition. We have felt nothing but love, optimism and joy from everyone we have had the privilege to interact with and we cannot wait to connect with more of you now that we are officially Marin County residents!

Since we as a church are experiencing a time of change, I thought it might be nice for my first sermon series with you to focus on a time when God’s people were experiencing a BIG transition in their community. So, this Sunday we will kick-off a series entitled “Lessons from the Desert” in which we will look at 3 eye-opening experiences that Moses and the Israelites had during their 40 years roaming the wilderness.

It is my hope that encountering these “a-ha” moments from scripture will motivate us to seriously think about how we are called to live in a loving community as Mt. Tam Church in 2021 and beyond.

My family and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday!

In Peace and Joy,

Pastor Luke

My beloved Mt. Tam Church,

Time moves quickly now—as I write this, I realize that in 3 weeks, everything we have packed up to move out of the parsonage will be in a truck on its way to our new home in Santa Rosa! We are moving out early in order for some wonderful work to be done on the house to welcome the Ham family. A new roof and skylights have been installed and the kitchen flooring replaced. Upon our move-out, the painters and floor folks move in, to give the interior of the house a fresh coat of paint and to pull up the old carpets and refinish the gorgeous American golden oak floors underneath. Insulation and a good deep cleaning will finish up the job, updating the parsonage with good care and beauty. Pastor Luke, Stephanie, Caleb and Wesley move in on July 7th. Thank you to Jan O’Brien for heading up the parsonage project.

Amidst the packing, planning and getting all the office things ready for Pastor Luke, we are saying goodbye to people we love: church members, neighbors, even merchants and vendors with whom we have become friends. What a paradoxical time, with the sadness of farewells and the joy of retirement. As I constantly say, “I’m retiring because I am ready to stop working. It’s been the love and joy of serving this congregation that have kept me here so long.” So please know I will miss ministry and miss you terribly, even as I rejoice in this next chapter of our lives.

Beyond gratitude is grace—and God’s grace is enough, abundant and full and whole. For this I am grateful.

Peace,

Pastor Kim

My beloved Mt. Tam Church,

I’m not sure where that phrase originated. I first encounter “We are Building the Ship as We Sail It” as the title of a Kay Ryan poem. It struck me as an almost too accurate description of a church at its finest—always moving, adapting, transforming itself for ministry. That’s one of the many things I have loved about my eleven years as your pastor, that we are a congregation not afraid to engage in the present in order to discern how to serve God. Thank you!

And thanks to so many of you for your well wishes and offers of care and support as Lindy and I prepare to move from being your pastoral family and the parsonage to our home in Santa Rosa. “What can I/we do for you right now?” is a common question. I have one definitive answer: GET TO CHURCH! Seeing you in the sanctuary does so much for my spirit, for it is this congregation which has carried me these eleven years. So get to church! That’s the best way to support me as a pastor—and your next pastor as well:)!

See you on Sunday!

Peace,

Pastor Kim

My beloved Mt. Tam Church,

May 23rd is going to be a BIG SUNDAY! Of course, every Sunday is a festival. However, May 23rd, as Pentecost Sunday, is always a big celebration for the church. This year, we are going to celebrate YOU! For it’s the time of year that we: 1. acknowledge our youth growing up with 3rd grade Bibles 2. recognize and give thanks for all graduations and 3. honor our volunteers. We will do that all on May 23rd–the BIG SUNDAY!

Because every Sunday is a festival, this coming Sunday we will honor mothers on Mother’s Day with a “guest” preacher, Lindy West. She’s an amazingly faithful and strong follower of Jesus. Her witness will be a gift to all of us as she shares her stories of faith and hope.

One last thing—some folks have asked about my retirement plans which I am happy to share: I am the appointed pastor of Mt. Tam Church until June 30th, but I will be taking the last 2 weeks of June off for vacation, so our farewell Sunday on June 13th will be my last Sunday with you (Dave Slorpe is preaching on June 20th; Tricia and the youth and kids will be taking on June 27th, so you are in good hands on those days!). We will be moving from the parsonage by June 16th to a home we own in Santa Rosa. That’s the retirement rollout!

My focus in these last six weeks will be to visit with you, clean up the files, get the church ready for Pastor Luke and the parsonage ready for his family—and visit with you. I’d love to visit with as many people as possible, so give me a call or an email! That’s the retirement rollout—and the celebration of God’s amazing love and grace still goes on.

Peace,

Pastor Kim